Hollywood: From Razzie to Legend

Alex was around five feet ten inches (about 1.78 meters) tall, his figure slightly on the thin side. His facial features weren't the sharp and chiseled type, but the ever-present smile on his adorable baby face made it easy for others to like him.

"So you're saying you left your banking job and came to Los Angeles to pursue acting because of me?" Hugo looked at the excited Alex in front of him, speaking with utter disbelief.

Alex still couldn't suppress his inner excitement. He sat a full five steps away from Hugo, as if afraid getting too close might shatter the dream. The joy between his brows overflowed, and his animated gestures dazzled the eyes. "Yes. We always have to try something new, don't we? Life is so short. If we don't have a true dream, that's just too pitiful."

Hugo admired Alex. Though he had once run away from home with his bandmates, and that journey lasted ten years, at that time, they were just youthful and reckless kids driven purely by passion. After struggling in society for so long, if Hugo said he never regretted it, that would definitely be a lie. He had even thought more than once about whether life would've been easier had he followed the path his family laid out for him.

But Alex was different. He gave up a stable banking job, left his hometown with determination, and threw himself into the elusive career of acting. That kind of courage wasn't something everyone could possess. What was even more surprising was that Alex had been inspired by Hugo someone who, at the moment, was merely a second-tier actor in Hollywood. That was almost unbelievable.

This was the first time Hugo felt genuine curiosity about his former self. One could imagine how talented his past self must have been to carve out a space in the acting world with potential to soar at any moment. He wasn't just a pretty face he had limitless acting potential. Given enough time, he might have become an excellent top-tier actor. But life's shackles had severed all possibilities.

"So have you found a suitable job now?" Hugo looked at the sunny and sincere Alex in front of him. It was easy to develop a liking for him. He was a very affable young man, and his smile made people lower their guard easily.

Alex shrugged helplessly, but still wore a smile without any trace of frustration. "I haven't had work in two months. I did small guest roles in some TV shows before, like 'Hunter' and 'Wiseguy,' but after that, nothing. Maybe my acting didn't satisfy them?"

Seeing Alex's vivid expressions, Hugo was directly amused. He had gone through this phase himself. But for the crew, supporting roles or extras didn't hold much value. Even if you performed this time, they could replace you next time without any consequence because it didn't require much acting anyone could be pulled in to do it. So, if one wanted more opportunities, building good relationships with the crew—producers, screenwriters, stagehands was a must. Only then would there be chances to return. That was also the breeding ground for unspoken rules. Opportunities were far too important for new actors.

"Maybe your acting style is too avant-garde they couldn't understand it." Hugo said seriously. Alex even began to ponder this thoughtfully, while Joseph on the side was holding in laughter so hard it hurt.

"Oh, by the way, I'm staying in that room inside is that okay?" Hugo asked.

"Of course, of course." Alex immediately bounced up like a spring and hopped toward the hallway, calling out as he went, "It's right across from the bathroom, but it's not damp at all, and the lighting is great." He was enthusiastically recommending the room to Hugo.

Hugo pressed his lips together and nodded slightly in thought, then said to Joseph, "Should I be worried about him jumping on me at night?"

This serious question almost made Joseph burst out laughing. "You go ahead and unpack. I'm heading upstairs Kal should be here soon." Joseph patted Hugo's shoulder, gave him a "good luck" look, and leisurely walked off to the third floor.

"Hugo, do you need to buy some furniture? I know a second-hand furniture market nearby with lots of stuff..." Alex came out of the room again and stood in the hallway, calling out to Hugo. But halfway through his sentence, he paused and hesitantly asked, "Or would you prefer to buy everything brand new?"

Alex had actually just realized what he liked didn't necessarily mean Hugo would like it too. Maybe even though Hugo had moved into a shared apartment, he still wanted to maintain his leading-man image. For instance, he might insist on choosing brand-new luxury furniture. In that case, Alex's kind intentions could become a burden to Hugo, which made him hesitate.

Looking at Alex's sincere and anxious expression, Hugo gave a big smile. "Second-hand furniture is an excellent choice. I need a lot of stuff it might take several trips to get everything. If you have time, maybe you could take me there once. Once I know the route, I can go by myself."

Shared housing meant dealing with roommate relationships. Although roommates didn't necessarily become close friends, one should at least avoid being completely self-centered. Living in the same space would inevitably bring about lifestyle differences. If one didn't learn to compromise and adapt, shared housing would only be a disaster.

Alex's friendliness and warmth although a bit overenthusiastic didn't make Hugo uncomfortable. He was also willing to show his own goodwill.

Sure enough, hearing Hugo's positive response, Alex's smile bloomed instantly. "Don't worry, I can go with you as many times as you need. I can even help carry some heavy stuff." His previous hesitation lasted only a moment before he returned to his usual sunny and cheerful self. "Come, take a look at what you need in the room. Oh, right there's also the living room and kitchen. The furniture here is really lacking. We can make a list and go to the market together to shop."

Just as Hugo was thinking about what kind of furniture he should buy to fill out the place, Joseph's voice rang out from the doorway again. "Hugo! Hugo!"

"In here, in the room," Hugo called back, but his gaze still lingered on the empty room. Besides the mattress, there was no furniture at all. Several large moving boxes were placed in the center, still unopened. The problem was, even if Hugo unpacked them now, there was nowhere to put the items. So he might as well leave them as they were.

Hearing Joseph's footsteps coming in, Hugo said, "Alex said there's a second-hand furniture market nearby. Do you think we should go take a look today, see if we can find some furniture? Otherwise, we have nowhere to put anything."

"Let's talk about that later," Joseph's breath was somewhat erratic, which made Hugo turn around in surprise he saw Joseph gasping for air, clearly having sprinted all the way down from the fourth floor. "I… I just got a call from Bo." This referred to Bo Goldman, the screenwriter of Scent of a Woman.

"Is there a reshoot needed for the film?" That was Hugo's first reaction after all, the movie had only wrapped less than two weeks ago. Post-production definitely wouldn't be done so quickly. "Or has Universal Pictures finalized the release date?"

Joseph shook his head and didn't keep Hugo in suspense. He said directly, "Bo recommended you for a job or more precisely, an audition opportunity."

Hugo's interest was instantly piqued. Could it be that his luck was finally turning around? He had thought he'd be unemployed for a while after Scent of a Woman. But now? First, Final Analysis's premiere had achieved unexpectedly great results, and now there was actually an audition lined up. The aftermath of the Razzie Awards seemed to finally be fading, and Hugo's acting career was beginning to show signs of a hopeful turnaround.

"It's like this Bo and Martin were full of praise for your performance on the Scent of a Woman set. Later, Bo brought you up in a conversation with Jack Nicholson." Bo Goldman had once worked with Jack Nicholson on One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and the two were good friends. "Jack also asked Al about you, and it seems Al had a lot of good things to say. Now Jack is preparing a new project that's about to start shooting, but the male lead still hasn't been finalized."

"Jack isn't playing the lead?" Hugo couldn't help interrupting with that question. Jack Nicholson was still one of the finest actors in America. He had no problem carrying a film as the leading man. So what kind of project would actually have Jack playing a supporting role?

"He thinks the supporting role offers more room for creativity, and his age is more suitable for a supporting role too. Anyway, the lead hasn't been decided yet," Joseph explained simply and quickly. "Right now, the production team is in talks with Tom Cruise, but the contract hasn't been finalized. So Jack recommended you to the team, thinking you might be a good fit for the lead."

"Tom Cruise?" Hearing that name, Hugo immediately understood how rare and how difficult this opportunity was.

Tom Cruise was currently at the peak of his fame. Ever since starring in Top Gun in 1986, he had become a national idol. Subsequent films like Rain Man and Born on the Fourth of July had been massive successes. Born on the Fourth of July even earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. It could be said that he was in the golden era of his acting career.

"What? You don't have confidence?" Hearing the doubt in Hugo's voice, Joseph thought Hugo was worried about not being competitive enough.

But Hugo shook his head, flashing a bright smile. "Before the producers make a decision, everyone has a chance and that includes me, right? Look, the opportunity is already knocking."

.....

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